The following background will be described in relation to pedal bicycles. However, the same issues arise in relation to other manual or powered ‘ride on’ vehicles. ‘Ride on’ vehicles are those vehicles where a rider sits perched on or astride a seat/saddle, rather than in a seat, such as in a car seat.
Conventional bicycle seats/saddles are well known for discomfort. While professional or serious amateur cyclists attempt to reduce the problem using padded shorts, the average or casual cyclist relies entirely on the cushioning properties of the seat to provide comfort.
Conventional bicycle seats or saddles consists of cushioned foam, leather and/or springs to provide comfort. However, no matter what the design or construction method of conventional bicycle seats, they are all based on the principle of compression cushioning. In other words, when a rider sits on the seat the springs and/or cushioning foam material are compressed by the rider's weight. The comfort is therefore provided by the cushioning properties (usually dictated by thickness and density of the cushioning material) of the seat material under compression.
A common attempt for improved comfort is for cyclists to use a padded or gel filled seat/saddle cover to alleviate such discomfort from the seat/saddle. However, this requires purchase of an additional cover, thereby adding to the overall cost and weight of the seat/saddle. Also, over time the padding/gel losses its effectiveness, or after a long ride the seat/saddle becomes uncomfortable regardless of the cover.
Both men and women are often loathe to ride cycles because of the lack of seat/saddle comfort. Knowing how sore they could become after a cycle ride, potential cyclists can sometimes avoid cycling based on this experience, thereby losing an opportunity for health, fitness and enjoyment.
Poor air circulation is also an issue as conventional seats/saddles usually incorporate smooth areas of padding in contact with the rider, making ventilation relatively poor. While some seats have been designed with a central recessed groove to improve air ventilation, by definition there still needs to be a significant cushioned area in contact with the rider without air circulation.
Regarding the health issues of conventional bicycle seats/saddles, the following problems have been realised. Weight of a person sitting on a normal chair is distributed over a wide surface area. This includes the buttocks and thighs. However, on a bicycle seat or saddle, the person's weight is distributed over a much smaller area. This creates a five or six fold increase in pressure on the crotch. A typical bike seat or saddle concentrates pressure against the perineum. The perineum contains the nerves and arteries to the genitals. This concentration of pressure, especially when the bicycle is used for long periods or the pressure is increased by impact with the seat or saddle when riding over rough ground, can cause physical harm to the rider, and incidents of impotence and sexual dysfunction have been reported. Research has shown that cyclists have four times the rate of impotence compared with track athletes. A 1997 Scandinavian study of cyclists taking part in a several-hundred-mile race found that 13% of riders had at least temporary impotence. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, known as NIOSH, decided to study numbness and sexual dysfunction in police who use bicycles for patrolling. Researchers studied the quality and duration of night-time erections, a strong indicator of overall sexual health, among 17 bicycle policemen and five men who didn't ride bikes. The study showed that the policemen had erections during 27% of their sleep cycle compared with 43% among non-policemen. In the study, 93% of the policemen said they experienced genital numbness.
One known suspended style seat for bicycles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 618,613 to Pedersen. Strips of material extend longitudinally and have one of their ends all connected to a ring, and the other free ends connected to and spaced along a bar attached to springs. The ring and the springs attach to different parts of the bike frame to provide a suspended seat. Suspension is provided by the springs. The strips of material are prevented from spreading sideways by additional transverse strips of material woven across the longitudinal strips. Thus, the strips of material do not have elastomeric properties and thus do not provide elastic comfort suspension; rather, the springs provide suspension to the seat.
With this in mind, it is desirable of the present invention to provide a ride on seat or saddle giving improved comfort and preferably increased air circulation.